Not sure where in orange county you are but there is a guy that does food scrap and yard waste pickup. It's $22 a month and he supplies a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that gets cleaned out at every pickup. When it's above freezing there is also sawdust added to the buckets. Plus he'll grab any yard waste as long as it's non invasive and untreated, which has been awesome for leaves and grass clippings. Sells the finished compost as well and delivers it. Plus he just seems like a top notch guy.

Granted, not free like the transfer station drop off, but it has meant I only go to the transfer station every month to six weeks instead of every week. Plus no real issues with smell. Bucket stays outside and I use a counter top container with compostable bags in the kitchen.

https://www.musicmountaincompost.com/services

I would look at a pair of good quality hiking boots AND some over boot traction like yak tracks. I have a pair of waterproof Merrell Moab 2 Mid that have pretty great traction on their own, plus they are waterproof and the thick sole helps keep my feet warm and come above my ankle so if I happen to step funny I'm not breaking an ankle. They aren't extremely heavy, but are definitely not as light as a sneaker, unsure if the weight would be an issue.

They are affordable enough that you can get away with wearing them daily if you're just walking around, but durable enough to last a few seasons. I've had mine 3 years running and they are in great shape. I bought a second pair for hiking cause those get beat to shit but even those have lasted more than 2 years. Every "winter boot" I have bought previously looked nice, but either didn't keep me warm, didn't provide traction, or fell apart too quickly.